Long Awaited Kisses
by Defiant Vixen
Summary: IchiUki, Fem!Uki:: "I suggest you let go of my hand so I can sit somewhere else.” Ukitake drew in a sharp breath. “And if I don’t?” “If you don’t,” Ichigo said with his eyes transfixed onto hers. “I am definitely going to kiss you.”


**Long Awaited Kisses**

**Summary:** "I suggest you let go of my hand so I can sit somewhere else." Ukitake drew in a sharp breath. "And if I don't?" "If you don't," Ichigo said with his eyes transfixed onto hers. "I am definitely going to kiss you."

**Pairings:** Ichigo/Ukitake.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own any of the characters associated with the Anime of Bleach.

**Warnings:** Juushiro Ukitake is dictated as a female in gender in this story. Yes, I am well aware that he is male in both Manga and anime, but work with me here.

**AN:** Hello there again. Had a bit of free time on my hands, which was quite fortunate as this plot bunny attacked me out of the blue. Just a quick oneshot because this pairing demands, needs, deserves more love. And besides, it's going to be a few more chapters before Ichigo and Ukitake shares a kiss in "A Woman Behind These Clothes" so think of this as a bonus fic to tie my wonderful readers over for a while.

Please do review and let me know whether you like this fic or not. Reviews keeps the muse happy and when the muse is happy, work get done. So please, feed the muse!

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It had become quite common these days to find a certain Ichigo Kurosaki hanging around the Division Thirteen's barracks, either in the company of Rukia Kuchiki, but more increasingly, with Captain Juushiro Ukitake herself. The beautiful female captain was thrilled to have the Substitute Soul Reaper develop a bond with her and Ichigo was grateful that she was one of only a few that didn't want to kill him through training or sparring.

The more that Ichigo spent with Ukitake, the more charmed he felt by her out-going and positive personality, her gentleness and grace giving him a sense of peace during troubling times. And Ukitake's expression would considerably brighten whenever Ichigo came into view, the much younger male giving her something to fuss over whenever he pushed himself too far.

The sight of them ambling along together, arm in arm, Ukitake chatting aimlessly while Ichigo listened, nodding at all the right places was now a common sight that no one, not even Ukitake's fellow captains or Division members would send questioning looks in their direction.

However, what was quite uncommon was to find Ichigo standing outside the barracks, his expression set in both reluctance and determination at the same time.

"Ichigo?" Rukia questioned him with a slight frown when she found himself outside, pacing quietly and seemingly musing to himself. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, well, I was in the neighbourhood and thought I'd drop by," Ichigo replied immediately as he gave her a somewhat cheesy grin.

Rukia, however, eyed him sceptically, seeing through his lies effortlessly before she rolled her eyes toward the sky above and shook her head. She knew that he didn't happen upon her Division by chance and she also knew, probably better then himself, that he had grown quite a strong bond with her captain. She could see the chemistry between them so was trying to encourage him to do something about his feelings for Ukitake.

However, their relationship was a little bit complicated. Sure, sparks would fly whenever they were together and had engaged in playful flirting more times than he could remember, but was these feelings something he could afford to explore, especially with the Winter War nearly upon them?

Ichigo wasn't sure, he must admit, but he was eager to find out.

"Whatever you say, Ichigo," Rukia said. "Since you're in the _neighbourhood_, could you possibly check up on my captain? She wasn't feeling well this morning."

Ichigo didn't really need an excuse to visit Ukitake at her office or even at her home for that matter, but it was nice to have one handy just in case he bumped into the very protective, and sometimes downright scary Kiyone and Sentaro.

"Sure, no problem," he said, a little bit more eagerly then he would have liked, earning himself a small smile from the petite girl before. He ignored her look as he moved to step around her, heading on inside to take the very familiar path toward Ukitake's office.

"Ichigo," Rukia's voice stopped him, a sense of exasperation in her voice. "Would you please do something about your feelings for my Captain? All this flirting and unfulfilled sexual tension is driving me insane!"

"Imagine how I feel," Ichigo muttered tersely under his breath before waving a casual hand over his shoulder, signalling to her that he had heard her, but wasn't going to grace her with a reply and kept walking.

He soon found himself staring at the doors that would lead him to Ukitake, taking a moment to gather his wits before he lifted his hand and knocked, soft enough so it wouldn't startled the talented woman inside, but enough to gain her attention.

Well, he thought he knocked hard enough, but he had received no response. He tapped again, louder this time and still no response. Frowning, he opened the door as silently as he could and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him the moment he was fully inside.

A sense of concern immediately enveloped him when he spied the beautiful white-haired captain slumped over her desk, her arms hanging limply by her sides and her head turned away from him so all he could see was her silky hair sprawled out over the desk.

Ichigo hastily made his way to her side and crouched near her. "Juushiro?" His voice was thick as he placed a hand on her back, the other touching her shoulder as he carefully, as if she was made of fine glass, moved her into a sitting position and cradled her against his chest. He had one arm wrapped securely around her shoulders as he brushes his other hand against her cheek, pushing aside the wayward strands of silk. Her cheeks were warm with life which helped to reduce Ichigo's fear greatly.

"Juushiro, can you hear me?"

At first there was no response, causing Ichigo's concern to nearly turn into a frantic panic when her brow abruptly furrowed and she made a sound of discomfort, almost like a mewl and subconsciously turned further into his arms. Then, her eyes snapped open and she stiffened against him, dazed confusion on her face as she glanced around, trying to gather her bearings.

Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief and revealed a rather shaky smile. "Hey there."

Ukitake slowly turned those warm milk chocolate eyes in his direction and immediately relaxed within his hold. "Ichigo-kun?" she whispered as she furrowed her brow again, appearing as though she had just awoken from a deep sleep.

However, Ichigo was fairly certain that she didn't fall asleep willingly.

Lifting her hand to brush her fringe from her eyes, Ukitake presented him with a weary smile. "I must have fallen asleep."

Ichigo snorted but decided not to say anything about it, instead allowed Ukitake to rest in his arms for a while longer, giving her time to gather her wits and composure. She had tried multiple times to push away from him, but he only held on tighter, not loosening his grip until he was certain her light-headedness had passed and that she was able to stand up on her own two feet without support.

"It's alright, the feeling has passed now, Ichigo-kun," Ukitake insisted for the umpteenth time, so Ichigo gradually, reluctantly and with much disappointment, released his hold upon her.

He, however, wouldn't relinquish his grip completely as he helped her to stand on her feet, stretching to her full height which equalled to that of his own and ushered her away from her desk in case she falls and he wasn't quick enough to catch her.

"I'm alright now," Ukitake again insisted, granting him that heart-warming smile of hers that always made his heart rate increase. "Thank you."

Ichigo wasn't able to hold himself back and abruptly moved forward, taking her into his arms once again, pressing her against his chest as his hand cradled the side of her face. It was obvious that she had managed to compose herself enough, her faint dizziness from earlier slowly dissipating, so he had no reason to embrace her rather than his own primal need to be closer to her.

Ukitake allowed him to embrace her, even going as far as placing her hands on his chest and leaning her cheek further into his hand. "Ichigo?"

"I'm going to make sure you take better care of yourself, Juushiro," he told her earnestly and firmly.

"I know you will," her voice quivered, but it wasn't from a possible chill.

Ichigo wondered briefly if he had somehow made a fool of himself and it amused her, or if his holding her this way please her as much as it did him. He, however, soon realized that they couldn't stand there all day locked in an embrace that wasn't meant to happen. Eventually, he had to let her go. And he did so with as much self control he could muster and led her over to an overstuffed couch.

"Better get some rest, if you can," he advised her as he helped her to sit down even though it wasn't necessary. "You'll feel better."

"Come sit with me, Ichigo-kun," Ukitake offered as she patted the cushion next to her.

Ichigo looked down at her slender hands with its long, flexible artist looking fingers. His gaze then travelled up her arm, noticing the skin appeared as gentle and soft as milk. "Not wise," he answered with a forced laugh.

But Ukitake grabbed his hand and tugged him down next to her. And he sat, his thigh brushing against hers as he did so. A shudder raced up his spine and he pressed his lips together tightly.

"Do you feel it, too, Ichigo-kun?" Ukitake questioned him softly upon a whisper.

Ichigo knew he could pretend he didn't understand what she meant, but what was the use? Every time they touched – however lightly, however fleetingly or for whatever reason – blood rushed through his veins. Of course he felt it, too. How could he not? And it was more than just familial warmth he felt when he touched her.

"Yes, I'm afraid I do," he responded, sucking in a deep breath of air as he did so and released it slowly, trying to draw on his nerves of steel or anything else that would rein in these impulsive sensations he was currently experiencing.

Never in his life that he been so near to losing total control, so close to saying and doing things that would be totally out of character. He wanted Ukitake, this amazing and beautiful woman more than his next breath. But he couldn't; Ukitake had just experienced a fainting spell and was still in her office, in the middle of the day.

Besides, she was a well loved and respected captain while he was a reckless and rebellious Substitute Soul Reaper. It would never work, right?

Ukitake threaded her fingers through his and squeezed his hand, placing her other palm on top of his hand. Again, another tingling shiver touched him.

"Trust me; it's difficult for me as well," she said with a long, shuddering breath, her slender form trembling ever so softy. "Maybe we could just ignore it, yes?"

He tried to shrug carelessly, but it came more as a sudden jolt of his shoulder. "If you want," he said. But her face looked so earnest under the gentle lighting of the room, the natural light from the sun outside casting her in this faint, angelic glow.

Ichigo found himself abruptly swallowing thickly. "However, if you to do that, then I suggest you let go of my hand so I can sit somewhere else."

Ukitake drew in a sharp breath. "And if I don't?"

"If you don't," Ichigo said as his eyes gazed transfixed onto hers. "I am definitely going to kiss you."

A gasp passed her lips, but she made no attempt to move. In fact, she actually tightened her hand around his, her presence suddenly becoming more alluring. Her eyes appeared cloudy, her lips full and inviting. Her silence and absolute stillness seemed to imply consent, so what chance did Ichigo have to deny that?

Slowly, giving her enough time to pull away and escape, Ichigo lowered his mouth to hers, her quickening breath ghosting across his lips. A tentative touch of the lips followed a mere moment later, and then another with a bit more pressure. But after that, all hell broke loose.

Ichigo just lost all control of himself almost immediately. His hand moved up to cradled the side of her face, his fingers slipping into her hair as he tilted her head slightly. He ran his tongue over her bottom lip, tugging it into his mouth and sucking on it, earning himself a deep sigh of pleasure and the consent to deepen the embrace further from her perfectly parted lips. She was pleading with him, begging him to kiss her deeply, to relieve to her how little control he had when he was around her.

But he didn't need to asked. He slipped his tongue passed her moist and full lips; his brain reeling in relief at her eager response, the lush texture of her mouth, her tongue, the unique and heady taste of her. It was like a fire had broken out and consumed them both, a fire that both of them was willing to embrace.

Ukitake practically threw her arms around his neck, grasping him as urgently as he was holding her. He could feel her heart thundering loudly against his chest as he pulled her closer, almost pulling the beautiful woman into his lap. He then stretched out on the couch, pulling her entire length parallel to his, half on, half off the couch, both of them steadily becoming more aroused with each passing second. Ukitake's hair cascaded over her shoulders, tickling his bare chest that had somehow become exposed during the embrace, but the silky strands only added to her already mesmerizing allure, spurring him on.

Dimly, somewhere in the recesses of his mind, Ichigo realized that he should probably be holding back, even just a little, and let Ukitake take the lead, let her control how far they went, how deeply they would go. But she followed him so passionately and with such abandonment of reality that he pushed that thought aside and just held on tight. They simply let their instincts lead them.

"Ichigo..." Ukitake murmured against his lips, soft pants and gasps heard from her in-between kisses.

Ichigo kissed a trail of brief, butterfly kisses along her jawbone to brush his lips against her ear, breathlessly telling her; "I'm mad about you."

Ukitake made a breathless noise that sound like a tiny air of agreement, turning her head just so to allow him to capture her lips once again.

On and on they kissed, turning this way and angling that, their lips and bodies seeking better leverage. Hands touched and grasped each others, Ichigo effortlessly cradling Ukitake's thin, slender body against him, his hands wandering, touching places where he had only dreamed, clothes hastily being pushed aside without a care. And she encouraged him by running her own hands over his chest and against his sides, her fingers ghosting across his bare and sensitive skin.

Ichigo returned the favour by slipping his hand into her kimono, his fingers dancing across the bandages around her bust...

"I guess a cup of tea between old friends is out of the question?"

A blinding light came on and had an effect like a bucket of cold water; Ichigo and Ukitake broke apart, their eyes wide in shock as they completely froze in their very scandalous positions, Ukitake still very much on top of him.

One could almost hear the deeply passionate bubble they were in pop.

Shunsui Kyouraku laughed loudly at their expressions before giving them both a rather sly grin. "I heard that Juu-chan wasn't feeling well and thought I'd help cheer her up," he said. "But it looks like Ichigo-kun had a better idea. Shall I just toddle back to my office, then?"

"No, wait!" Ukitake gasped as she struggled to sit up and hurriedly tugged at her clothing, her porcelain features were now covered in a rather cute dusting of light red as she slid off Ichigo. "Shunsui, I swear it's not, I mean..."

But her best friend just flapped a hand in their direction, looking greatly amused. "Now now, Juu-chan. No explanations necessary. I'm just sorry I interrupted."

That caused Ukitake's blush to darken further and Ichigo could feel his own features heat up dramatically as well. "Um, Kyouraku-san?"

"Yes, Ichigo-kun?" Shunsui drawled.

"Uh..." Ichigo stumbled over his words for a moment. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say or why he directed Shunsui's attention toward him, but he knew how deeply embarrassed Ukitake was feeling at the moment and searched desperately for a distraction for the flustered woman.

"Tea would be good."

"Exactly what we need!" Ukitake agreed a little too loudly as she scrambled off the coach and dashed toward the hallway, halting suddenly in the doorway.

"Kitchen's the other way," Shunsui told her drolly, his amusement only growing when she uttered a quick 'of course' before disappearing entirely. He then glanced in Ichigo's direction and smiled slyly. "That girl needs a keeper."

Ichigo bit his lips together and nodded his head, totally at a loss as to what to say. He wanted to laugh as Ukitake was adorable when she was flustered, but felt it was inappropriate. He climbed to his full height and shuffled his feet against the floor, almost appearing as if he was a delinquent and was getting himself ready for a scolding.

"You can by-pass the apology, kiddo," Shunsui interrupted as he stepped further into the room. "It's not like I'm gonna pull out my Zanpakutō and demand that you marry her because of one little kiss."

_Little_ kiss? He didn't know what to say to that, either. If he'd been a scant two minutes later, he might have a more justifiable reason than a kiss to make that demand.

"However, if you do hurt her," Shunsui's whole laid-back persona suddenly did a one-eighty and clasped a hand tightly upon his shoulder, his usually wise eyes narrowed with pure malice. "That's when I'll get my Zanpakutō out, you hear me?"

Ichigo shuddered under his strong grip. "Loud and clear, Kyouraku-san."

"That's good to hear," Shunsui stated as he quickly reverted back to his lazy, friendly self, but this time Ichigo was greeted with a sly, almost perverted look from the much older man. "Next time, use the bedroom. It'll be more comfortable, especially for Juu-chan."

Ichigo knew he should feel a sense of embarrassment at that, but instead his hormone driven mind fell straight into the gutter, prompting another bellowing laugh from Shunsui and a slap on the back.

"That's me boy!"


End file.
